Painter seeks his masterpiece

September 10, 2008|AL LESAR Tribune Staff Writer

It's put up or shut up time for Curtis Painter. Heisman Trophy? Huh? Throughout his career, the knock on the fifth-year quarterback of Purdue's football team (1-0) has been that he hasn't been able to win the big game. Over the last three seasons -- while losing to Big Ten heavyweights Wisconsin (2005-06), Penn State (all three) and Michigan and Ohio State last season -- the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder has averaged 183 yards passing and has thrown a total of just two touchdowns in the seven games. The Boilermakers have not beaten a ranked opponent since they knocked off No. 10 Iowa, Nov. 8, 2003, 27-14. Saturday's showdown at home with 16th-ranked (Associated Press, 14th, USA Today) Oregon (2-0) gives Painter an opportunity to reverse the trend and prove he's capable of beating a quality opponent. Consistency is the attribute Painter feels is the key to succeeding. Why is he more prepared to be consistent now than ever before? "I'm more mature and I know what to run with the offense," Painter said Tuesday. "We don't have young guys (on offense). The key is to be on same wavelength between the coaches and the players. "This is a big game against a quality opponent. My job is to play well and give us a chance to win at the end of the game." Painter didn't exactly set the world on fire (15 of 28 passing, 286 yards, 2 TDs) in last week's win over Northern Colorado, but he didn't have to. The vanilla playbook should have much more spice this week. Painter and the Purdue offense will have to be amped up several decibels this week. Oregon's defense is loaded with fast, experienced players at nearly every position. "Fast, faster and fastest is the way I would describe their defense," said Purdue coach Joe Tiller, who was especially impressed with the Ducks' secondary. "Two of them are all-world, two of them are all-American. They play anything they want to. They'll play (man-to-man). Obviously, any time a team blitzes they're going to have to play some man. They like to come up and press." "One thing about Oregon's defense, when you see the guy with the ball, you see four or five guys around him," Painter said. "They gang tackle all the time. They've got a swarming defense." "Curtis Painter throws as well as anyone we've seen this year," Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said Tuesday. "Not only does he throw well, but he sees the field so well. He's a threat throwing the ball and on some of those designed sprint-outs. "With Painter, Purdue's offense can spread you horizontally and vertically, which is tough on a defense." Painter and Tiller have gone out of their way to downplay the significance of playing well in a big game. "I don't try to think too much about rankings or records," Painter said. "I just look at the defense and see how I feel about them." "Winning a game against a team like Oregon would bode well, obviously, No. 1, for us as a team, No. 2, for him as a quarterback," Tiller said. It would take a little heat off Painter -- at least for a week.